The Unlikely Lady (Playful Brides #3)(59)
“At least she’ll stop hating me,” Lucy whispered to Jane from where they sat in the row behind the Morelands. “I may have married a duke, but the Swifdon title is far older and more prestigious than Claringdon’s. That must be why she’s crying.”
“I resent that,” Derek said from beside his wife. Lucy elbowed him.
Jane gave Lucy a warning look but couldn’t entirely stop her smile.
“What did your mother say when you told her Mrs. Bunbury had to leave this morning?” Lucy whispered.
“Shhh,” Jane countered. Her mother was sitting just two spots away, on the other side of her father. Jane lowered her voice even further. “I told her Mrs. Bunbury had been overcome with a fit of heat yesterday and had compounded that error by eating something that did not agree with her.” Jane smiled slyly. “She’s well on her way to London by now.”
Lucy pressed her lips together and nodded. She, too, kept her voice especially low. “I’m ever so glad to hear it.”
Derek eyed the two ladies skeptically and shook his head.
It was true. Now that Mrs. Bunbury had been dispatched, Jane was happily free of her first and biggest problem. Her second problem, Mrs. Langford, remained of course, but that woman didn’t frighten her. Now that Jane knew what the widow was capable of, she intended to stay well away from her. After tomorrow, when all of the houseguests returned to London, doing so would be quite simple. Mrs. Langford might have declared her intentions toward Garrett, but if there was any doubt as to where Garrett’s affections lay, he’d proven them to Jane last night.
Jane took a deep breath and concentrated on watching Cass and Julian standing up at the altar together declaring their love for each other. It was beautiful, truly. The smile on the faces of both the bride and the groom declared to the entire assembly how deeply in love they were. Lucy was crying. Even big, strong war hero Derek looked a bit choked up. Jane had never been one to cry. Her stiff upper lip was something of which she was particularly proud, but listening to Cass and Julian take their wedding vows did tug at her heart.
The vicar’s voice boomed through the church. “Julian Nicholas James Swift, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health; forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”
Jane caught her breath. The back of her throat burned. She’d never experienced anything like it during a wedding. Lucy made a sobbing noise and Derek patted his wife’s knee.
Julian’s eyes shone with love and pride. “I will,” he intoned.
The vicar turned to Cass. “Cassandra Elizabeth Louisa Monroe, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”
Cass’s voice was strong and sure. “I will.”
Lucy pushed her handkerchief up to her mouth to absorb another sob.
Jane pressed her lips together, hard. Other than the obey part, that had been lovely. Truly lovely. And she’d never seen Cass so happy. Pure radiant joy shone from her face. All the years Cass had written Julian, hoped he’d come back from war safely, had culminated in this beautiful moment. Jane had to shake her head against the burn behind her eyes this time. A movement to the left caught her attention. She glanced over to see Garrett leaning slightly forward, smiling at her softly. He and his mother were sitting farther down the long row.
Jane returned his smile with a tentative one of her own before returning her attention to the ceremony. Garrett looked especially fine today in his formal morning coat. His dark hair brushed the collar and the black brought out the color in his eyes. They looked dark green.
Perhaps marriage wouldn’t be so awful after all. The thought came out of nowhere and struck Jane in the chest. She gasped. Lucy gave her a quick, questioning look but Jane barely shook her head to indicate nothing was amiss.
She surreptitiously looked over at Garrett again. So far she hadn’t thought beyond the house party and their little, ahem, flirtation, but they would have to have a talk at some point, the two of them. That much was clear. Would he be contemplating proposing marriage? Jane plucked at the neck of her gown. She couldn’t think about that now. It was too much.
The fact was, in addition to Mrs. Bunbury, and Isabella Langford, Jane had a third problem, and it might well be the most pressing. She had the nagging feeling that she was falling in love with Garrett Upton. It seared her brain every time she had the thought, coming back to haunt her again and again. Each time she tried to push it away, it returned, more insistent than before.
She was surprised to think it. Upton had proven to be funny, intelligent, and well read. The well read part alone was enough to send her halfway to being in love with him. If the first edition Mary Wollstonecraft hadn’t got her, quoting it certainly would. Add to that the fact that the man was gorgeous and knew how to do amazing things with his mouth and fingers, and she was nearly without hope.
She couldn’t tell Upton she loved him. Could she? Lucy had convinced her he loved her, but Jane wanted to hear it from him. It was far too frightening a pronouncement for her to be the first to make it. But butterflies, of all poetry-dwelling, nauseatingly happy things, fluttered in her belly every time she thought about Garrett. When she caught his gaze again and he gave her that sensuous half-smile of his, the butterflies doubled.